TOPIC:

The Photo is labeled:

"1st LINE OF DEFENCE HELPMAAKAR ROAD - SIEGE OF LADYSMITH BOER WAR 1899-1900"

Marked: Turnbull Photo

Was not Helpmaakar Road not an important landmark of some kind during the Defence of Roark's Drift?????? I remember it being mentioned in the movie...…

Mike

Thank you for the picture, Mike.

Helpmekaar is about 10km south west of Rorke's Drift so the road would definitely have been a route to and from Rorke's Drift.

The picture is taken from Ladysmith, facing roughly East, along the road to Helpmekaar.
The skyline shows on the left: the low hill of Gun Hill with the taller, more conical, Lombards Kop just behind it; then in the middle of the skyline there is a saddle [through which the Helpmekaar Rd runs]; then the skyline rises on the right to a tall flat topped hill which is UmBulwana.
There were Boer guns on both these high points.
I attach a sketch map of the siege, on which I have added an arrow showing the direction the camera is pointing; and a similar [though elevated] view of the area in recent times
Rob

That's excellent. Many thanks, Rob.

My thanks also for the explanation and modern picture...…

Mike

Here's the same view from "The Leaguer of Ladysmith", you can recognise Gun Hill/Lombard's Kop and UmBulwana.